By Opeyemi Adelakun
The United States has delivered military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral security cooperation and support Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
The United States Africa Command disclosed the latest delivery in a post on its X handle on Thursday, accompanied by photographs showing a US Air Force C-17 aircraft transporting the equipment.
AFRICOM said the equipment was provided under a foreign military sales agreement between Nigeria and the United States.
“PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION: A U.S. Air Force C-17 delivers equipment to the Nigerian Air Force this weekend. The equipment is part of a foreign military sales agreement that furthers the U.S.-Nigerian partnership and will aid in Nigeria’s efforts to counter terrorism in the region,” the command said.
The delivery comes amid sustained military cooperation between Abuja and Washington, with both countries continuing to pursue training, intelligence-sharing and capacity-building initiatives despite changes in the deployment of US personnel in Nigeria.
On August 23, US forces commenced training for Nigerian troops at Operating Location Bauchi, focusing on unmanned aircraft systems, combat casualty care and other military capabilities.
The training included combat lifesaver and tactical combat casualty care instruction, weapons familiarisation, camouflage, water treatment and testing, explosive ordnance disposal, small-unit tactics and unmanned aircraft systems.
According to AFRICOM, the programme was developed around the expertise available within the US military and areas identified by Nigerian counterparts as particularly useful to their operations.
Unmanned aircraft systems reportedly attracted significant interest from Nigerian forces, with about 10 members of the Nigerian Air Force Special Forces Regiment receiving practical instruction on operating the systems.
The US personnel also trained the Nigerian troops on how to deploy unmanned aircraft systems and integrate information obtained from them into military operations.
The latest equipment delivery follows AFRICOM’s disclosure in July that the United States had withdrawn most of its troops deployed to Nigeria for a specific counter-terrorism mission.
However, the withdrawal did not end the broader security relationship between the two countries.
Nigeria and the United States have continued to cooperate through intelligence sharing, military training, equipment support and other capacity-building programmes aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s ability to confront terrorism and other security threats.
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